Nile River Thrills

People travel from around the world to ride for a day on the Nile River ($75 - $125 US). The Nile changes elevations as it runs from Uganda, its source, to Egypt; as a result there are rapids. Some of the falls and rapids are now under water due to the completion of the Owen Falls dam and more may disappear with the construction of the new Bujagali Dam. For now, there are spills and thrills available to the hardy and brave. About an hour's travel from Jinja is the end point of most rafting companies, a short portage around Itanda Falls and then one final set of rapids. After 36km on the water, the rafters must be tired but the last set of rapids are the finale. The scenery is spectacular, but the road to Itanda Falls is not well marked, so a challenge to locate but worth the 1 hour trip out of Jinja, especially if you can watch the end of a rafting group. Fortunately, the rafting companies hire people to retrieve those who end up swimming in the Nile.